Bandē Utkaḷa Jananī

English: I Adore Thee, O Mother Utkala
ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀ
Emblem of Odisha
State anthem ofOdisha
Lyrics	Laxmikanta Mohapatra, 1912
Music	Gokul Mohanty, 1932 (arranged byBalakrushna Dash)
Adopted	1994(de facto) 7 June 2020(de jure)
Audio sample
Bandē Utkaḷa Jananī (2023) file help

Bandē Utkaḷa Jananī^[1][2] is anOdia patriotic poem written byLaxmikanta Mohapatra in 1912.^[3]Odisha became the first state in British India to be formed on linguistic basis on 1 April 1936. The music was first recorded by Gokul Mohanty in 1932.^[4] The modern notation was arranged by the Odissi musicianBalakrushna Dash^[5] which was adopted as the state anthem. The Odisha Cabinet on 7 June 2020,^[6] accorded the poem the status as the Anthem of Odisha.^[7][8]

This song was first sung at the Utkal Sammilani's Conference at Balasore in 1912. It was used as a weapon by the Utkal Sammilani to emancipate Odisha.^{[citation needed]} In a meeting at Bhadrak, where the poet Mohapatra was felicitated, the then young leader of Odisha Harekrushna Mahtab admitted that the poet Laxmikanta's patriotic songs have inspired him a lot.^{[citation needed]} In the past, outsiders like Mughals, Marathas and Britishers ruled Odisha and its geographical boundaries changed from time to time accordingly.^{[citation needed]}

The poem envisages aUtkala who maintains her self-respect and dignity from a position of confidence and strength rather than insecurity and fear. This movement for a separate province also gathered momentum in Odisha.The Utkal Sammilani (a federation of Odias) was leading this movement. This influenced the poet Laxmikanta Mohapatra, who was then young and energetic. He started writing Bande Utkala Janani (Glory To The Mother Utkala!) and some other fiery songs with a patriotic motive. Well, known national poet of Odisha Banchhanidhi Mohanty was also a good singer. He used to sing Laxmikanta's patriotic songs throughout Odisha and inspired everyone. Once Rabindra Nath Tagore wrote in one of his essays i.e. "A Vision of India's History" that 'the history of India has been the history of a struggle between the mechanical spirit of conformity in social organization and the creative spirit of man which seeks freedom and love in self-expression' justifies Laxmikanta as a true patriotic poet.^{[original research?]}

In the early 1990s, the then Chief Minister of OdishaBiju Patnaik requested the then Speaker of Odisha Legislative AssemblyYudhistir Das that the adoption of the song be played at the end of the Assembly Session. In 1994, at an all-party meeting presided by Das, the song was adopted to be played and sung at the valedictory session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.^[9]

It was a long standing demand of people of the state to accordstate song status to this poem which has been passed by the State cabinet meeting chaired by Chief MinisterNaveen Patnaik after the Odias across the globe had come together on the clarion ofChief Minister of OdishaNaveen Patnaik to singBande Utkala Janani on 5:30 pm of May 30 to boost the morale of frontline workers orCOVID-19 warriors tackling the coronavirus outbreak.^[10][11]

• List of Indian state songs

• Bande Utkala Janani

• Asian anthems
• Culture of Odisha
• Poems in Odia
• Indian state anthems

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